This Day in Baseball History
January 10th

John McGraw saves the day as he prevents a team of horses from injuring two west coast women. The fiery Giants’ manager's heroic deed of stopping the runaway steeds takes place in the City of Angels, Los Angeles.

1928

Displeased with his abrasive style and gambling habits, Giants owner Charles Stoneham trades Rogers Hornsby to the Braves for backstop prospect Shanty Hogan and journeyman fly chaser Jimmy Welsh. During Rajah's one-year stay in Boston, his third team in three seasons, the future Hall of Fame second baseman will lead the major leagues in hitting with a .387 batting average along with an astounding .498 on-base-percentage while playing and managing the seventh place club.

1934

Bill Veeck Sr., a former sports writer who won three pennants (1918, 1929, and 1932) during his reign in Chicago's front office, is replaced by William Walker as president of the Cubs. The 56 year-old baseball executive, whose son will become a Hall of Fame major league owner, died of leukemia during the World Series.

1945

The BBWAA does not elect a new member for the Hall of Fame this year. Frank Chance, Rube Waddell and Ed Walsh, all of whom will be inducted by the Veterans' committee in 1946, get the most votes but fall short of the necessary three-fourths of the ballots to be selected.

1950

Cleveland bullpen coach George Susce is relieved of his duties by Indians' general manager Hank Greenberg when his son turns down a better offer to sign with the Tribe and decides instead to play with Louisville, a farm team of the Red Sox Red Sox. George Jr., who will make his major league debut against the Yankees in 1955, compiles a 22-17 record in 117 games during his five seasons with Boston and Detroit.

1957

Commissioner Ford Frick allows Bing Crosby, part of an 11-man syndicate that made a successful bid to buy the Tigers, to keep his token stock in the Detroit club although he is part owner of the Pirates. The famous crooner, who became one of the Bucs' owners in 1946, presently has a 16% share of the club.

1983

A preliminary injunction is issued by the New York Supreme Court barring the Yankees from playing their opening games against the Tigers in Denver. The Bronx Bombers sought to move games fearing the renovations to the stadium would not be completed on time.

1991

In one of the worst trades ever made in baseball history, the Orioles send pitchers Curt Schilling and Pete Harnish and outfielder Steve Finley to the Astros for first baseman Glenn Davis. Davis, who averaged 27 home runs in six seasons playing in the Astrodome with Houston, will hit only 24 dingers in three injury-filled years as Schilling becomes one of the most dominant hurlers in the game and Harnish and Finley develop into solid major league players.

2001

In an effort to authenticate autographed and game-used merchandise sold by its licensees, Major League Baseball has hired Arthur Andersen, an accounting company, to assure the authenticity of approximately 40,000 items this season. The memorabilia will have a tamper proof hologram and an ID number with a company official observing the removal of the item being physically taken from the player or event.

2001

As part of its 100th Anniversary festivities, the Indians present three-time All-Star Jim Thome with his very own bobblehead doll. The first baseman is one of seven current Cleveland players who will be part of the bobblehead doll promotional giveaways to celebrate the club's centennial this season.

2002

Although he missed most of the second half of the season playing for the White Sox due to undergoing back surgery, the Yankees sign David Wells to a two-year, $7-million contract to re-join the team. After posting a 34-14 record including a perfect game from 1997-98, 'Boomer' was traded to the Blue Jays, where he had his only 20-win season, in a deal for Roger Clemens.

2002

Representative John Conyers Jr., the House Judiciary Committee's ranking Democrat, said he would back off asking Bud Selig to resign if the commissioner dropped his threat to eliminate teams this season. Selig, in a two-page letter to the Michigan lawmaker, was unequivocal in his response, stating the suggestions made were wholly unacceptable.

2006

Bruce Sutter becomes just the fourth relief pitcher to get into the Hall of Fame, and the first hurler ever elected without a career major league start. The split fingered fastball, which will eventually lead to career ending injuries, helped to establish the right-hander as one of the game’s dominant closers.

2008

The Astros and Darin Erstad (.248, 4, 32) agree to a $1 million, one-year deal which also includes incentives. The 33 year-old free agent outfielder, a lifetime .284 hitter, saw limited duty with the White Sox last season after spending 11 superb seasons with the Angels.